The manufacture of integrated circuits involves the etching and coating of silicon wafers in accordance with a predescribed process to fabricate electric components upon the silicon wafer surface. After production, the silicon wafer is then diced into individual integrated circuits.
During the manufacturing process, the semiconductor wafers are subjected to several chemical reactive steps that provide coating and etching of layers deposited on the semiconductor wafer surface. One such process includes a reactor structure that produces a flow of chemical gases across the surface of wafers supported in cavities on an epitaxial susceptor barrel of silicon carbide coated graphite that rotates within the reactor. In such process, an interior portion of the reactor includes a quartz container surrounded by quartz halogen lamps that provide heating. Chemical gases in the process flow through the container exit into contact with the wafer surfaces. The gases, when flowing through the container exit at the base after flowing across the susceptor barrel containing the cavities in which the semiconductor wafers being processed are supported exposed to the environment. The barrel rotates inside the quartz container as the gases are flowing across the wafer surfaces. Depending inward of the reactor is a quartz hanger through which an infrared temperature sensor is projected inward of the barrel. The sensor monitors the temperature of the inside of the barrel within the quartz container that can vary from about 30.degree. C. to 1400.degree. C. within an hour time period. The barrel also serves to protect the temperature sensor from the lamp light and from the circulating gases within the quartz container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,828 discloses a susceptor barrel structure for processing of the supported wafers. As disclosed therein the barrel structure is comprised of a plurality of side panels mounted on both a top plate and bottom plate by an interfit with a continuous groove in each of the respective plates. A problem characterized by this construction is the need for mounting at least two opposing side panels onto the top plate before the bottom plate can be seated.
Since, by the very nature of the semiconductor manufacturing process, the gases introduced may be extremely corrosive and the barrel must be periodically cleaned to remove coating build up, the barrel must be periodically replaced resulting in reactor downtime. Additionally, the barrel must be replaced when different wafer sizes are being manufactured. Therefore, a need exists for a barrel that facilitates installation and removal to reduce the downtime of the reactor as much as possible. Moreover, the prior art barrel constructions have been characterized by surface irregularities that have caused undesirable disturbance of the gas flow.
Despite recognition of the problem associated with such prior reactor structures, a ready solution to the problems has not heretofore been known.